Personalised story for child scared of shadows: your child and the Friendly Shadow

What happens in your child and the Friendly Shadow

1. Your child notices a long shadow beside the bed.
2. The lamp shows the shadow moving as your child moves.
3. Your child spots the everyday things making its shapes.
4. A small shadow game makes the room feel calm and known.
5. Your child switches off the lamp and settles down to sleep.

How the first page could read

At bedtime, your child noticed a long, wobbly shape stretching across the bedroom wall. It moved when the lamp moved. Your child pulled the duvet a little closer, then sat very still and watched. What could that quiet shadow be doing there?

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

Shadows can look big and unfamiliar when a room is dim, especially at the end of a busy day. This gentle bedtime story lets your child look at a shadow without rushing past it: first from under the duvet, then with the bedside lamp on, and finally as part of a small, playful game. The story uses familiar bedroom objects and simple cause and effect, showing how a shadow shifts when the light or object moves. With your child as the child in the illustrations, it gives parents a calm way to talk about what is in the room before lights-out. The quiet ending brings the focus back to settling into bed.

Reading it together

• Read it with the bedroom lamp on first, so your child can point out the shadows in their own room.
• Pause when your child investigates each shape and ask what object they think is making it.
• After the story, try making one small hand shadow together before returning the room to its usual bedtime light.

Suggested art style: Coloured pencil

Coloured pencil gives the lamp-lit room soft texture and keeps each shadow shape clear without making it feel harsh. A sidekick idea: a small plush rabbit with round ears. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.